Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli is seeking a reimbursement from the National Football League for $25,000 after the production company in charge of the Super Bowl halftime show backed out of an agreement to lease space at the high school.

According to Linh Tat of the Bergen Record, Gonnelli sent a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell Friday seeking $20,000 for the Secaucus school district and $5,000 for the fire department, which had been staffed for game day. The city said the New York/New Jersey host committee had agreed to pay $10,000 to use a parking lot. However, the plan was altered a week before the game.

Gonnelli says a member of the host committee had agreed via email to a plan to use two parking lots and bus service to get halftime show workers and volunteers to MetLife Stadium on game day. Nine days afterward the production company — Touchdown Entertainment — sent an email saying they had found another option.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Bergen Record he was not aware of the letter from Gonnelli, and that it was Touchdown Entertainment that had the agreement with the city of Secaucus and not the league.

Gonnelli said if they didn’t get a response from the league they would file a complaint for breach of contract.

Goddell: “New Jersey legislature and Governor, if you ever want to sniff the Super Bowl again, get this clown off our back.”

seaeagle707 says:Feb 11, 2014 12:37 AM

Didn’t I once see something very similar to this on The Soprano’s? Guy is no doubt hassling the League for it, as he probably did not have a legally binding contract with Touchdown. What he wants of course, is pocket change for Roger, so he’s possibly hoping the League’ll pay to avoid the negative publicity.

rextraordinaire says:Feb 11, 2014 7:07 AM

The school district and fire department got a week’s notice that the parking lot wasn’t going to be used, and they staffed for it anyway. Now they’re asking for money.